Smile… it makes you happy

According to recent research into the anti wrinkle treatment Botox, smiling actually makes you feel happier, reports the Telegraph.

Expert researchers who were investigating the effects of Botox have found that being unable to smile when you feel happy sends the news back to the brain which reduces the intensity of the feeling.

Botox has become an extremely popular treatment among hordes of people who are trying to ward of the crows feet. The treatment works through temporarily paralysing the muscles which cause creases in the skin. Sounds fantastic… but it does come with the side effect of decreased movement in the face and a distinct lack of facial expressions.

Researchers have found that those who possess only a limited ability to make telling facial expressions have a far more limited ability to feel emotions as there is less feedback to the brain about facial expressibility.

Joshua Davis, a psychologist at Barnard College in New York and a team of researchers showed people emotionally charged videos both before and after they were injected with either Botox, or Restylane – a substance injected into lips or facial wrinkles that fills out sagging skin.
Restylane has little effect on facial expressivity as it simply adds a filler to the skin and does not effect muscle movement. Botox on the other hand caused an overall significant decrease in emotional experience.

The findings reflect research from over a century ago which found that feedback from facial expressions to the brain can influence the experience of emotions and the simple act of smiling can make you feel happy and frowning can make you feel sad.

So with that said, today’s tip is simply to smile , you’ll be surprised at just how good it can make you feel.